Harriet Bass interview with Lula “Lou” Crumley Vandiver, James W. Greear, Lee Gednye, Ralph Fain, Jimmy Vandiver, and Homer Alston (part one)

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This is the first of a two part recording, it begins with Crumley Vandiver listing members of her extended family, including children. She explains that since her house burned down several years prior, her memory has declined. At 5:21, Vandiver describes her mother and her relationship with her grandchildren, followed by Vandivers own relationship with her children (some of whom were adopted) and grandchildren. She also recounts when pneumonia weakened her so much that afterward she required a can to walk. At 16:30, Vandiver describes her living arrangements and recalls that the cold weather in Chattahoochee killed two of her children. She adds that she sold cattle, sheep, and hogs at market. At 28:40, Vandiver looks back on her home garden and making soap. At 30:40, she explains that the school year was much shorter when she was a child, only 3-6 months, and teachers didnt make much money. She argues that now children receive much more organized education, but they dont learn practical skills like cooking, sewing, or plowing. At 35:40, Vandiver describes clothes, towels, blankets, and sheets she wove out of wool. This included dyeing the cloth with natural dyes, such as coffee. Vandiver also explains that she cooked a lot because she cared for so many children, and that she cooked with what was available, including deer, raccoon, and opossum. And she used herbs to make medicine, such as mumweed tea and pokeberry salad. At 1:08:40 Vandiver recalls locals she knew before her house burned down, including a sawmill worker. At 1:18:00, she describes sermons that she heard at church, adding that her family rode an ox wagon to get to the church. At 1:24:00, James Grear tells a few humorous stories; one is about chickens saving a man, and another is about chickens discovering gold. He further elaborates on gold found in the area and tells a story about a prospector. He notes that they are inside a building that used to be a lodge. To conclude the interview, Grear tells a humorous story about when he and his brother scared others by setting up a ghost that looked like a woman who had died by suicide in their house. Lula Lou Crumley (1874-1979) was born in Laveta, Colorado; shortly after her birth, her family moved to Nacoochee, Georgia. She attended school for two months out of the year until she was 16. In 1892, she married George Alexander Dandy Vandiver (1872-1947), and they had ten children. They lived in Helen and Blue Ridge, Georgia. In 1969, Vandivers home in Helen burned down. Leigh Matthias Gedney (1922-1998) was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended Atlanta Southern Dental College and registered for the World War II draft in 1942. He married Mary Catherine Page (1930-2008) in 1951 in Edgefield, South Carolina, and they had two sons and four grandchildren. Dr. Gedney and his wife later lived in Atlanta and had a summer home in Helen, Georgia, where they were buried. James Josh Washington Greear (1912-1993) was born in Troutsdale, Virginia, and his family later lived in Rome and Helen, Georgia. In 1940, he registered for the World War II draft. He worked at Rion Stone Corporation and later designed machinery for the Kraft Paper Company. Homer Alston (1911-1989) was born in Hiawassee, Georgia. In 1933 he married Mabel Alston. He worked as a logger for the Gennett Lumber Company in Asheville, North Carolina, and registered for the World War II draft in 1940. In 1957 he moved to Helen, Georgia, in 1957. Ralph Lloyd Fain (1904-1972) was born in White County, Georgia, to David and Mary Fain. He married Elese Vandiver (1916-2013) in 1933 and they had two children, Phillip and Maurice. He registered for the World War II Draft in 1940 and worked at the Helen Lumber Co. in Cleveland, Georgia. In addition, Fain operated a farm. After retiring, Fain lived with his sister and son in Helen. James (Jimmy) Latimer Vandiver (1927-2004) was the only child born in Helen, Georgia, to Lat and Harriet Vandiver. In 1941 he registered for the World War II draft; then in 1945 he enlisted in the army at Fort Mcpherson in Atlanta. While in the army, he operated trucks, tractors, and taxis. When he finished his service, he ran a concrete company in Cleveland, Georgia. Mrs. Lula Crumley Vandiver, or as she is better mown by the co uunity, iam: a Lou Vandiver, has lived ninety four of her ninety six years in the mountains of :cite county. She vas born on .'arc'. 2i, lb ?L- in Laveta Colorado at the foot of Pike l s Peak here her parents had gone prospecting for gold. ' per father was S.- ith Cru ile;y% of H4bersuam county and her mother was Anne destmoreland of Naeoochee Valley. When Mamma .Lou was two years old she 1oveo into M d.i.te county , arid there pier father built a log cabin at the foot of C)n.-icoi . ountain. Schooling then lasted only two aionths a year in July and August. The school house was four miles from her ho.ie, and s---e walked it daily when school was in session. All together her total scizoolin^ consiste 1. of no more than ten months. She was married At the age of eighteen, two years after she got out of school, to George Alexander (Dandy) Vandiver. ".. after the wedding we rode horseback:=.to our little farm up Smith Creek, where the cabins above Unicoi Mountain are now located. It snowed on us all the way." From Smith Creek they moved up on Spoilc.ne Creek at the foot of TJ icoi Mountain. Their next home was up on "Hickory Field", high upon the blue ridge, where A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.